Feeler with concave teeth



E. S. STI IVI PSO N.

FEELER WITH CONCAVE TEETH.

APPLlcAnoN FILED JULY 1 8. 1 9 1 8.

Patented J an. 27, 1920.

UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oFFicE.

EDWARD S. STIMPSON, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A'SVSIGNOR TO DRAPER CORPO- RATION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

FEELER WITH CONCAVE TEETH.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an. 27, 1920.

lApplication led July 18, 1918. Serial No'. 245,563.

To all lwhom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. STIMPsoN, of Hopedale, in the county of Worcester and 4State of Massachusetts, have invented a new Feeler with Concave Teeth, of which the following is a specification.

The new feeler mechanism includes a sliding and swinging feeler which slides forward and back during the normal running of the loom and which tends to ymove lengthwise of the bobbin being restrained from such movement by the weft on the bobbin. When, however,'the .weft approaches exhaustion the feeler tip encounters thev smooth. surface of the bobbin, andslips along the .described inLetters Patent of the United States, Number 1,309,226, dated July 8, 1919. The present improvement relates to' the feeler tip and its relation to the laterally slipping feeler arm and to the bobbin and the weft carried thereby.

The improvement is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichi Figure l, is a plan view of so much of the detecting side of the loom as is necessary for ,an understanding of the improvement. In

this figure the front walls o'f the shuttle'and of the shuttle box are shown in section, andv the parts are shown in the position which they occupy just as the weft iirst encounters the feeler tip during the forward swing of the lay. Fig. 2, shows on an enlarged scale the initial conta-ct between the weft and feeler tip. Fig. 3, is a detailed vertical section in the plane indicated by the line 3-3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4, illustrates approximately the condition which occurs following the encounter of weft and feeler tip, indicating to `an exaggerated extent a penetration of the teeth into the weft. F ig. 5, illustrates the vconditions following the encounter between the feeler tip and the bare bobbin.l

The feeler com rises a feeler arm A, and a feeler tip B. vhe feeler arm is mounted so as to both slide and swing and it is'shown as inclined to the forward and aft swing of the lay and with the feeler tip offsetlaterallyinward as compared with the forwardrend and pivotof the feeler-arm, in this respect being simllar to the feeler arm set forth in said patent. As a consequence ofthis dis-v positlon of the feeler arm the impact of the forwardly moving bobbin C, tends to swing the feeler tip laterally inward, that is to say toward themiddle of the loom and the tip of the bobbln and away from the butt of the bobbin. As long, however, as weft D, is

present on the bobbin opposite the feeler tip i .Weft with thel feeler the engagement of the tip teeth E,:prevents such lengthwise slippmg. Fig. 4, illustrates to an exaggerated degree, for the sake of clearness, how there is, a sufficient penetration of the teeth E, into the weft D, `to prevent the slipping of the tip lengthwise of the bobbin C.

When, however, the feeler tip teeth 'encounter -thesmooth surface of the bare bob- (bin, :1s-indicated by dotted lines in Figa,

theimpact of .the bobbin on th'eginclined feeler causes the feeler to swing and the teeth E, to slip along the bobbin to a position as indicated by full lines -in Fig. 5.

This lateral swing is utilized to set the weft 'replenishmg train' into action.'

As thus far referredtothe organization and modeof operation are similar to those of theaforesaid patent. ,In accordance with the present improvement the feeler tip B, is rigidly and immovably secured within the socketed free rear end of the feeler arm A. The feeler tip has a plurality of teeth E, four being shown. The teeth are blunt and rounded so that there is no danger of either cutting the weft or scratching the bobbin. Each tooth is vertically concave on its rear weft-contacting face, the curvature being such as to conform substantially to the convex surface of the weft, as shown in Fig. 3. Transversely, a line along the ends of the teeth, as shown in Fig. 2, is parallel with the normal axis 'of the bobbin. This disposition of the teeth is such that there is adesuffice. `When, however, the bobbin is bare 'opposite the feeler tip the teeth slip along and tilt on the bobbin as indicated in Fig.'A

after the tilt begins.

"'c'is'journaled to the forward end of the bracket turning on a vertical axis. This rock shaft has a through-aperture through which the front end of the feeler arm extends and slides. At its rear end the feeler arm eX- tends through a broad passageway in the bracket, .the margins of this passage-way being indicated by the dotted lines L, L. The top of Athis passageway is closed by a cap M, which with the bottom of the bracket confines the feeler arm against vertical movement. Secured to the feeler arm near its middle is a slide N, which slides on horizontal ways O,"of the bracket.' A spring Q, surrounds the feeler arm between the slide N, and the rock shaft K, and normally holds outer wall L, of the passage-way.

the feeler arm in its rearward position with the slide against the shoulders of the bracket which support the cap M. The feeler arm is also maintained by the spring against the In this normal position the feelerf armextendsV at an angle to the fore' and aft swing `of the lay. Consequently, the rock shaft K, is offset laterally and outwardly with respect to the passageway so that the feeler arm stands angle to the fore vand aft swing of the lay and the bobbin (or the weft thereon) encounters the tip along a fore and aft path nearer the tip of the bobbin than a arallel path intersecting the rock shaft.

o long as the weft on the bobbin encounters the teeth of the tip the resistance thus offered prevents any slipping of the tip lengthwise of the bobbin. Accordingly as the lay moves forward after the first encounter of the weft with the tip there is no sliding of the tip on the weft; but during the completion of the forward movement of the bobbin the feeler arm is moved forwardly compressing the spring Q. During this normal action there is a slight inward swing (to the right) of the feeler arm permitted by the turning of the rock-shaft. lVhen the bobbin is bare opposite the feeler tip there is a further inward lateral swing of the feeler arm to the right and this additionalswing is utilized to set in action the train of weft replenishing mechanism.

This functional swing of the feeler arm under the impact of the bare bobbin causes the feeler arm to encounter a controller X, and move it laterally inward. This controller is mounted in'a transverse guide-way of the bracket J. as shown in dotted lines y and it has a slot Z, through lwhich the feeler arm passes. This slot is sufficiently wider than the width of the feeler arm so that the normal swing of the feeler arm has no effect von the controller. lllhen, however, the functional swing of the feeler arm is imparted to it by the lengthwise movement of the feeler tip along the bobbin the controller is slid laterally inward. This lateral movement of the controller is utilized to bring about weft replenishment as explained in detail in the aforesaid patent. After the functional action has occurred a fiXed cam W, on the bracket acts upon aprojection on the feeler arm to restore the feeler arm to its normal position as it retreats under the influence of the spring Q.

The weft D, is so wound on tlie bobbin that there is a suiicient amount to continue the weaving after the feeler tip has performed its functional slip and until weft replenishment has been effected.

I claim- Y 1. A laterally slippingfeeler arm with a fixed tip having a plurality ofblunt rounded teeth each with a concave face conforming to the curvature of the weft on the bobbin. 4-

:2. A laterally slipping feeler arm having a plurality of blunt rounded teeth each with a concave face.

In witness whereof, I have, hereunto signed my name.

EDWARD S. STIMPSON. 

